U.S. 41 shift could be permanent

Although the Florida Department of Transportation is hesitant to say it's discovered a solution to traffic problems near the John Ringling Causeway, a representative for the organization believes recently implemented changes have helped address issues in the area.

In February, FDOT District One Traffic Operations Manager L.K. Nandam met with city staff and St. Armands Circle stakeholders to discuss traffic congestion around St. Armands Circle and leading onto the city's barrier islands. At the time, Nandam told those in attendance that the state agency would look into adjusting traffic signals in the area so that they were better coordinated with one another.

Locals at February's meeting suspected traffic signals near Bird Key and Longboat Key were contributing to worsening traffic conditions, but Nandam said a more remote — and more obvious — culprit was responsible. FDOT determined issues at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road were significantly contributing to the congestion, and FDOT implemented some changes in an attempt to improve the situation.

Most notably, FDOT restriped U.S. 41 to add a dedicated right-turn lane. The organization also increased the length of traffic signals to create a steadier flow of vehicular movement in all directions. Based on what the organization has seen, things are moving more smoothly — a claim that has been echoed by people on St. Armands.

“I don't think it would get to a free-flow condition, but it's clearing a lot better,” Nandam said. “The amount of time it's taking to clear out the traffic from the island is actually being managed better.”

FDOT will continue to evaluate its changes to Sarasota's congested streets while the region is still seeing peak traffic activity, but a decision as to whether the tweaks will be permanently implemented should be coming soon.  

“We did this as a test maintenance-of-traffic-type scenario, so we need to evaluate — should we keep it permanently?” Nandam said. “If we do, what kind of changes do we need to incorporate?”